82-year-old woman swallows 8 live frogs to ease back pain, develops infection, hospitalised

The elderly woman had long suffered from a herniated disc and reportedly believed a local folk remedy claiming that swallowing live frogs could relieve back pain. (AI generated image)

An 82-year-old woman in eastern China shocked doctors after she swallowed eight live frogs in an attempt to cure her chronic lower back pain — a decision that left her hospitalised with a severe parasitic infection.

The woman, identified only by her surname Zhang, was admitted to a hospital in early September after experiencing intense abdominal pain that left her unable to walk, South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported.

Her son told doctors: “My mother ate eight live frogs. Now the sharp pain has made her unable to walk.”

A folk remedy gone wrong

Zhang, who had long suffered from a herniated disc, reportedly believed a local folk remedy claiming that swallowing live frogs could relieve back pain. Without informing her family of her intentions, she asked them to catch frogs — each smaller than an adult’s palm. She consumed three frogs on the first day and five the next, swallowing them alive without cooking.

Initially, Zhang experienced mild discomfort, but the pain worsened over the following days. Only then did she reveal her actions to her family.

Doctors find parasitic infection

Medical tests ruled out tumours but revealed a dramatic increase in oxyphil cells, a sign of infection. Further analysis confirmed the presence of parasites, including sparganum — a tapeworm larva commonly found in frogs.

“Swallowing frogs damaged the patient’s digestive system and introduced parasites into her body,” the publication quoted a hospital doctor as saying.

Zhang underwent two weeks of treatment before being discharged. Doctors warned that such folk remedies pose serious health risks, including parasitic infections and organ damage.